Fact Check: Viral Claim About Salman Khan on Pakistan’s Terror Watchlist Is Fake

A social media storm erupted this Sunday after allegations that Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been put on Pakistan's terror watchlist for his alleged backing of the Baloch separatist movement. But a closer examination establishes something far simpler — it is fake news from a doctored document. 

Background of the Controversy

The controversy traces back to Salman Khan’s appearance at the Riyadh Forum, a major cultural and business event in Saudi Arabia. During a panel discussion on the influence of Indian cinema in the Middle East, Khan remarked:

“There are people from Balochistan, there are people from Afghanistan, there are people from Pakistan — everyone is working here.”

While the comment was made in the context of migrant workers contributing to the economy in Saudi Arabia, the mention of Balochistan separately from Pakistan triggered outrage among certain online users in Pakistan and India. Some social media commentators interpreted it as a politically loaded statement, suggesting that Khan was indirectly endorsing Baloch separatism—a highly sensitive and contentious issue for the Pakistani state.

Within hours, a screenshot of what looked like an official notification from the Home and Tribal Affairs Department of Balochistan began circulating widely. The notification claimed that Salman Khan had been added to Pakistan’s “Fourth Schedule” under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, labelled as an “Azad Balochistan Facilitator.”

The viral post gained traction quickly, amplified by accounts promoting Pakistan-related propaganda and sensationalist content on social media platforms, leading to a widespread misbelief that the actor was under legal scrutiny in Pakistan.

What Is the Fourth Schedule?

In Pakistan, the "Fourth Schedule" should not be taken lightly. It is listed individuals who are being monitored for purported affiliations with banned groups or radical movements. They are monitored, their travel is curtailed, and they can be arrested for violating reporting requirements. The usual names here are radical clerics, suspected terror sympathizers, or militant financiers.

So, did Salman Khan end up on that list? No — there is not a particle of evidence to support that.

The Document Fails Under Scrutiny

A fact-check produces a number of red flags:

The viral alert is nowhere to be found on a Pakistani government website or gazette.

No Pakistani newspaper or journalist has reported on any action being taken against Salman Khan.

The letterhead on the document doesn't match the style of Balochistan's Home Department.

The notice does not have an official dispatch number, a seal, and a signature—usual elements of Pakistani government documents.

Even the document's language seems to be grammatically incorrect and clumsily written, as opposed to official communication.

Cybersecurity experts who viewed the going viral post aver that it looks like a digitally edited document.

What Caused This Misinformation?

The outrage is due to Salman Khan's recent visit to the Riyadh Forum. In a panel discussion, he stated:

"There are Baloch people, there are Afghan people, there are Pakistani people — everybody is working here."

Said in a light, casual manner about Saudi Arabian guest workers. But the explicit naming of Balochistan—a politically sensitive region in Pakistan—was enough to bring out hyper-nationalist outrage on the internet. Some interpreted it as a coded recognition of "Free Balochistan," a secessionist cause to which Pakistan is opposed.

As is apt to happen in the modern-day system of online propaganda, soon the outrage gave way to misinformation, and the hoax paper was born.

Salman Khan's Camp Unfazed

While Khan himself has remained mum on the rumor, a close member of his team dismissed the charge as "laughable fabrication given credence only by trolls."

Fact Check Finding

The news that Salman Khan has been put on Pakistan's terrorist watchlist is completely false. The viral notice is false and part of a social media disinformation drive.

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